May 2nd 1998
by Kuri333
Summary: She could imagine what the fray would be like. People were going to die, there was no point trying to convince her it would be otherwise. Tonks was wishing she could be there as well.  An AU epilogue to 'Tonks' Tale'
1. Chapter 1

_May 2nd 1998_.

All Tonks could do was pace the room up and down, wishing Remus had had the time to tell her how the twins could communicate with people inside the school, so she could find out exactly what was going on. Wishing time would go faster. Wishing she could be there as well.

Teddy had fallen asleep again and Andromeda had placed him on the couch. For a long moment nobody had said anything.

She could imagine what the fray would be like. If they were gathering at Hogwarts, it was just logical to suppose the Death Eaters were gathering as well. And maybe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would be there. People were going to die, there was no point trying to convince her it would be otherwise. She had seen too much of the war to know how these things went.

And there she was. Sitting at her old parents' sitting room and doing nothing. Nothing but waiting, with the feeling she was going insane.

Suddenly certainty came, as hard as a wave. She had known what she was supposed to do all along.

Tonks stood up and Andromeda did the same, almost at the very instant.

"I'm going," she said, surprised at how calm her voice sounded.

Her mother did not say a thing.

Taking one last look at her sleeping son, Tonks grabbed her wand, and a handful of floo powder.

"I'll be back," she whispered to the tiny person.

Almost as if she had rehearsed it long ago, she threw it into the flames and contemplated for an instant the green emerald light emanating from them.

She had made up her mind long time ago.

The firm grip of her mother on her forearm made her startle. She had almost forgotten she had been there all along.

"You're not going," Andromeda said softly.

Tonks faced her, weary.

"It is not your-"

"I'm going instead."

With eyes wide open, Tonks looked at her mother's expression. She seemed to be serious.

"You deserve the chance not to do this," she said in a voice so low it was almost a whisper. "And so does Remus."

"Mum, there's no time for all this. I have to-"

"Listen to me, Nymphadora. You don't have to go!"

"What do you mean? Of course I have-"

"I mean," Andromeda rose at her full high, "I know why you need to be there; you'll be missed if you don't and… I'm afraid Bellatrix would not rest until she finish you off personally, and if nobody finishes her first, she would try with all her might to find you and you'll never get a second of peace. That's why I'll go there, disguised as yourself, and try my best to protect Remus and bring him back to you in one piece. And if I can get close enough for a good aim at her, don't doubt I'm going to take my chance."

"What?" Tonks looked at her mother, her mouth slightly open. She must be joking, or must have gone insane. "I can't let you do this! You're not trained for this, they'll kill you!"

Andromeda smiled sadly and looked at Teddy, peacefully asleep.

"I'll only regret not to get the chance to see him grow up and drive you crazy the way you did to me."

Her mother must be out of her mind. This could not be happening.

"You don't have to do this," Tonks tried to sound calm enough. "You stay here and look after Teddy. We'll be back-"

"You don't know that, sweetie, you just hope. And I hope that as well, but… I don't want my grandson to be an orphan. I want him to be raised by her mum and dad, as it should be."

Suddenly she drew her wand and pointed it at Tonks.

"I'm doing this," Andromeda continued with a soft, almost tender voice, completely at odds with her menacing gesture, "whether you like me to or not. The Polyjuice potion is ready, nobody will know you were not in there. I'll find Remus and I'll bring him here, safe."

This must have been one of those strange dreams that usually haunted her; the whole situation, her mother's proposition, it all felt unreal, impossible.

"What if you die?" Tonks asked, her voice merely a whisper.

Andromeda smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes.

"Your father took a great piece of me when he died. I am…" her mother's voice broke a little and Tonks felt as if her heart was shrivelling. "Most of the time I feel there is no place for me in this world any more. My time… our time is over; it had been taken away from us. Yours is still here."

Tonks had not realised when had she started crying; with an impatient wave she whipped off her tears, trying to get a brainwave of what to do.

"Let's go, both of us."

"Don't be silly Nymphadora," Andromeda prompted, just as if she was scolding her for a crazy idea she might have had when she was five. "Your place is with your son. It's your duty now, and it is much more important than any other thing, including all that saving the wizarding world nonsense."

"But Mum-!"

"I'm doing this, Dora," her mother's eyes were wet as well. "And I'd rather leave without having to fight you; I'd much prefer you'd hug me before."

Tonks looked at her son again. Time was passing, how long had it been since Remus had left?

"Ouch!"

With a swift movement, Andromeda had taken one hair from her head and she was now walking towards the kitchen.

"Mother!" Tonks protested.

She did not respond but took a small bottle from the cupboard. The mud-like liquid was all but too familiar to Tonks. How long did her mother have had this? Had she planned for this all along?

Andromeda put the stopper off and threw the pink hair in. The liquid became a clear mauve surface.

"That's a pretty nice colour," she commented, as if she was talking about something else entirely.

"I…" Tonks' voice was almost inaudible. "I don't want you to go."

"I must. That is my duty. You have yours."

And without knowing how, both women were hugging, Tonks sobbing into her mother's shoulder.

"You'll do fine, Dora," Andromeda said, "you'll be a great Mum."

"You were the best."

"I know, but you'll do nicely all the same."

Tonks chuckled between sobs.

Andromeda gave a step back and with a large gulp she drained the bottle.

Looking at her mother take her shape, Tonks' realised for the first time they were not that different. She was just a younger, more colourful version. There were the same eyes, the pale skin, and especially that determinate look which was Andromeda's most distinguish feature right now; Tonks recognised herself in all that and wished she could be a little more like her in many other ways.

"Mum…"

"I'll have to go and find Remus now."

Andromeda walked swiftly to the living room and approached Teddy.

"Whatever you do, little man, be creative and make the most of every day."

Tonks looked at them and had to suppress another sob.

Her replica approached the chimney and took a handful of floo powder.

"Be safe and take care of your family," she said, looking straight into Tonks' eyes. "Them, they are the most important think you've got."

"I know," she nodded, "I'll do, Mum. And you… please come back."

Andromeda did not answer. With a proud air she threw the powder into the flames.

"The Hog's Head!" she cried, and with a spin she was gone.

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><p><strong>AN: Needless to say, I do enjoy living in the Land of Denial. I had this piece drabbled and after seeing DH second movie (and *that* scene at the great hall I don't want to think about), I decided to finish it and post it. And pretend nothing happened. There, of course, will be a second chapter.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**The dialogues you recognise are, of course, from the book _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_. No harm intended and no profit is being made.**

* * *

><p><span>Andromeda<span>

It had been many and many years ago the last time she had been at the Hog's Head. The memory made her smile faintly while spinning through the Floo Network. She had come here with the last boy she had dated at school, back in her seventh year: a fellow Slytherin she had afterwards hexed right into the Hospital Wing; she still considered the consequently detention had been worth it.

She had no time to dwell on that any further though, for on exiting the pub's fireplace she realised it was crowded. Students, some wearing cloaks, others still in their night clothes, were pouring down a staircase at the far end of the premises and running right through the front door to the otherwise deserted street of Hogsmeade. It had been actually lucky she had not run over one of them when getting out the fireplace.

First things first though, pointing her wand inside the fireplace she concentrated hard on that very tricky piece of spellwork she had to do in order to prevent her ever-so-stubborn daughter from doing what she would think to be the right thing to do. She hoped she had managed but she did not have the time to properly check.

Andromeda grabbed hold of one of the tallest kids passing her, he looked much older than the rest and he was wearing Raveclaw robes and a Prefect badge pinned lopsided on them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We've been evacuated," the boy said. "I'm one of the last ones going, I'm on charge of this lot," he added pointing at a running crowd of small children. "Gotta go."

"Wait, wait!" she yelled at him, grabbing his sleeve this time. The boy turned around, visibly annoyed. "How did you get out the school?"

"There's a corridor upstairs, all right?" he said and started running out of Andromeda's reach.

A sudden crack made her startle: her hand at the ready she pointed at the source.

An elderly witch had just Apparated outside Aberforth's pub, wearing a long dress and a moth eaten hat.

Without pause, the woman entered the pub, her wand steadily pointing at Andromeda.

"Do you know what's going on, girl?" she asked.

Andromeda had to remember for an instant why anybody would address her thus, no matter how old that person was.

"I've just arrived here, I don't know," a screaming group of small kids passed between the two women. "They told me they're evacuating kids from the school. There must be an entrance or something upstairs."

"I know it's upstairs we need to go," the witch said, and then she added importantly. "My grandson, Neville Longbottom, told me so. There is a passageway between this place and the school."

"So," Andromeda said, sprinting towards the staircase, zigzagging to avoid colliding with another group of students, "you're Mrs. Longbottom."

The old lady followed her with unsuspected energy.

"That's me, Augusta Longbottom. Who are you, may I ask?"

"I'm Andromeda Tonks… daughter," she hastily corrected herself. This was not a moment to make mistakes. "Nymphadora."

Mrs. Longbottom apparently was not interested anymore. Following the kids they had entered what appeared to be a small sitting room. A handsome fireplace occupied most of one of the walls and on top of it there was.

The little door was open, and behind it they could see a dark passageway. A girl was just exiting it, a Prefect badge also gleaming on her school robes.

"You," Augusta Longbottom pointed a claw-like finger at her. She stopped in her tracks. "Is this the passage to the school?"

She looked for a fraction of a second to Andromeda and then to the stairs; she seemed to be in a hurry to go away.

"Yeah, it is. I'm the last one evacuating. The battle has started!"

"Obviously," Mrs. Longbottom said.

"You go and be safe," Andromeda told the girl who obeyed at once. Ready to climb up the mantelpiece she added, "where do you think Aberforth is?" She felt she had to ask before leaving the premises.

"I expect he decided he's not that useless after all and went up to the castle," Mrs. Longbottom said dryly. "You know, girl, we should seal this entrance in case somebody undesirable finds it."

Andromeda nodded, climbing up and getting inside the door. It was far easier than she had expected it to be; this much younger body was more fit to this sort of endeavours than her own.

Augusta Longbottom took her offering hand with a deathly grip and climbed behind her; then she faced the door again, her wand still drawn. Pointed it at the hole, she muttered under her breath. Something smoky and golden emerged from the tip of her wand and the door shut closed.

"I think that will hold them," she said, and then she rounded up to Andromeda, "Hurry up, girl! What on Merlin's name are you waiting for?"

She did not need her to tell it twice. With long strides she started running down the corridor, dreading nonetheless what they would find on the other side.

The loud bangs and crashes were far more audible from their current position and Andromeda suspected they were running under the castle grounds. At some point the corridor shook a little and a couple of the brass lamps on the wall went off.

"We need to hurry," she said and tried to gain some speed, while worrying a little about the old lady trying to keep up with her.

Suddenly the corridor turned to the left and there was a short flight of stairs and the illuminated contour of a door.

"There," Andromeda said unnecessarily, and without waiting for her companion to catch her, she entered the room.

It was a very strange looking room, there were hammocks and banners hanging all over the place, and she could also spot school robes and Muggle clothes on the floor. The room was empty but for one red-haired girl.

"Tonks!" she cried and launched into her arms, hugging her tightly. Andromeda had to think fast to remember the name of Molly Weasley's daughter.

"Ginny, what's happening?"

"I don't know, everybody's out there, fighting. They told me to stay in."

There was unmistakably anger in her voice.

"And so you should-" Andromeda started, right when Augusta Longbottom exited the passageway and closed the door behind her.

"We need to go," she announced ignoring Ginny.

"Shouldn't we find out if there is a plan or something…?" she looked at Ginny for answers.

"I don't know," she started, "they were talking about forming groups and-"

She was interrupted by the sound of another door opening and closing. During the brief moment it was ajar, the sound of the fray came clear: screaming, explosions and even the shouting of spells. Then it all went quiet again.

Down a flight of stone steps three people came and Andromeda was so relieved to see one of them she could have cried out loud.

"Ah, Potter," Augusta Longbottom said matter-of-factly. "You can tell us what's going on."

"Is everyone okay?" she asked and heard Ginny echoing her question.

She knew it was a silly question, but she needed to know, she needed to make sure her coming here had not been in vain.

"'S far as we know," said Harry Potter. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"

"I was the last to come through," said Mrs. Longbottom. "I sealed it, I think it unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?"

Never mind that, Andromeda thought impatiently.

"He's fighting," said Harry.

"Naturally. Excuse me, I must go and assist him." Mrs. Longbottom stated before exiting up the stone steps with a sprint.

Harry did not paid attention to her; he was looking at Andromeda intently.

"I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mother's?"

He was concerned about her grandson too, Andromeda thought with a pang of gratitude. She had not understood at first why her daughter had and Remus made him godfather but now, after this simple statement, it seemed they had made a good choice.

"I couldn't stand not knowing —" she said, trying to sound as much as Nymphadora as possible. "She'll look after him — have you seen Remus?"

"He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds —"

Trust him to be heading some suicidal mission, Andromeda thought grimly, passing between Ronald Weasley and the Granger girl, and speeding out the room.

The corridor she was standing in was empty, but she could hear the sounds of the fight not far away. How to get through all of that without getting hurt and find her son-in-law? She looked outside a window: a group of older students was ready to fight an upcoming much larger group of dark cloaked people. From this distance, though, she could not see if Remus was among them.

"Hey, Tonks, over here!"

Andromeda spun around. Ginny Weasley was pointing her wand outside the next window, apparently firing courses outside.

This was bad, she was too young, she should not be there fighting on the first place. Her wand held tight, Andromeda approached her. She had to keep this girl safe too. With horror she saw that the mass of Death Eater was already fighting the groups of Hogwarts fighters on the ground and, by the looks of it, approaching the school at alarming speed. Time was running fast.

It was a very strategic position and Ginny had already succeeded in stunning members of the coming crowd. Her gaze was so fierce and her spells so well aimed Andromeda was strongly remained of Nymphadora. Still she had a mission to fulfil and standing there, although useful, was not helping her particular plans.

The door of the room from which she had emerged not long ago opened again and Harry and the other two kids run into the passageway.

"Let's hope he steps on some of them!" Ron Weasley said, pointing at one giant in the crowd. His voice was partially drowned by loud screams coming from not far.

"As long as it's not any of our lot!" Ginny said hastily, firing another spell at the upcoming crowd.

"Good girl!" somebody screamed and Andromeda spun around to see Aberforth running down the corridor and looking wild. He was being followed by a group of old students, all of them with their wands at the ready. "They look like they might be breaching the North Battlements, they've brought giants of their own!"

Andromeda did not need him to tell that, the immense figures were perfectly distinguishable from where they were. There was something else she wanted him to tell her, though.

"Have you seen Remus?" she yelled at his retreating back.

"He was duelling Dolohov," he shouted back and Andromeda felt as if she had just swallowed something really heavy. "Haven't seen him since!" Aberforth added.

There was no time to waste. Without a word, she sprinted forward, following Aberforth and thinking fast of a way to get down into the grounds. Ginny Weasley was calling after her and she felt sorry to leave her. She had other plans though, and the only thing she could expect was for the other three to take care of the youngest Weasley.

Passing one corridor and another she realised she could not go into the open like that; it would be next to impossible to stay alive before reaching Remus. Gripping hard the handle of her wand, she tapped her own head and felt the Disillusionment charm trickling down her back.

She would not get there in time, the Death Eaters were taking over the group outside and if Remus had actually planned on being there, he was all but lost. A spell shot from somewhere outside hit the window she had just been leaning on a moment ago, and send pieces of shattered glass flying in all directions.

Suddenly inspiration came, rising up her wand and thinking it would be odd but nonetheless she had no other option, she muttered: "Accio broom!"

A moment later she heard a whishing noise. Not one but dozens or broomsticks were floating in her direction. Avoiding most of them, she grabbed one and saw, smiling, that the handle and the tail had vanished at the contact with her charmed skin.

There was no time to waste. Hastily sitting on the broom, and thinking on passing that is had been indeed a very long time since the last time she had done this, Andromeda zoomed outside the blasted window, right in the direction of the upcoming fight.

She had to dodge misfired spells as she flew, under, down the grounds, right over the fighters' heads, trying to find the one she was looking for, while firing spells at the approaching black-cloaked crowed. A couple of her stunning spells actually hit some of the fighters, but she had to duck a shower of curses flying in her approximate direction. The Death Eaters could not see her, but they could indeed track the source of the spells.

How had Aberforth managed to see Remus was anybody's guess, the dark mass was almost undistinguishable.

Finally there he was. Relief washed over her when she distinguished him at the head of one of the groups of students fighting Death Eaters. There were already bodies on the ground and Remus was trying to make his way without stepping on them, while duelling two Death Eaters at the time. One of them, Andromeda could not see properly in order to figure out who he was, but the other was Antonin Dolohov.

Aiming very carefully this time she shot a stunning spell to the unknown Death Eater. He fell to the ground and she recognised now Rodolphus Lestrange; there was no time to think about what it meant to her to have stunned her brother-in-law just yet. The distraction had been just what Remus needed. Dolohov had looked up to see where the spell had come from and Remus stunned him with a powerful flick of his wand.

Andromeda did not stop to think. Bending forward to make her broom go at top speed she directed it towards Remus and seized his arm with all his might.

"What the-!" he yelled in surprise.

"Hold tight!" she yelled, realising it was her daughter's voice, and with difficult she directed the broom to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.

Remus weight, hanging clumsily from one side, made the broom lost its curse and they collided painfully on the ground, right under the protection of the first line of trees.

"What-?"

Remus stood up hastily, looking around, his wand at the ready. With a tap of her wand on her head, Andromeda casted the Disillusionment charm off, it was important now for him to see her.

"Dora?" his eyes were wide

His expression was one Andromeda had never seen on him; it was relief and something resembling a wild happiness, and yet there was also concern and worry.

He gave a long step towards her. She had to stop him at once.

"No, Remus, I'm not her," she said, trying to make Tonks' voice sound like her own. "It's Andromeda."

Her son-in-law froze in mid-air, looking intently at her. And without knowing how, the tip of his wand was not pointing to her throat.

"If that's true," he spoke in a low, hoarse voice, "what's the colour of your grandson's hair?"

"It changes. It was green when I left him, black when he was born, turquoise in the photograph you're carrying in your pocket."

Remus lowered his wand, looking intently into her eyes for a moment. She waited, even though she knew they had not much time for that sort of things.

"You're not Dora," he finally said.

"That's what I'm telling you, I'm Andromeda-"

"Where is she?" his voice was urgent.

"At my house, right where you left her-"

A loud bang and a shower of pebbles flew in their direction. Their time was running out.

"Remus," Andromeda said, "I've come here to find you and send you home."

"You what?"

"Listen to me," she suddenly realised it: the passageway was closed, there was no way he could Apparate outside and trying to fly over the wall with the shower of spells and curses casted on it was absolutely out of the question. She had an alternative plan, though, and she very much wished she would not have to recur to it. "You must go to Nymphadora and to your son."

"I can't," he said, and his voice was full with anguish. "I must fight here, I'm needed!"

"You're needed back at home too, where you belong! They need you: Dora, and Teddy," her voice was harsh, almost without her noticing it.

Remus was shaking his head.

"But what about this, and the Order. People are dying here, Andromeda!"

At this she raised at her full high, wishing she could use her own body.

"And what difference could one man do?" she said, her voice a low contemptuous whisper.

"All the difference in the world!" he cried desperately.

"And what will happen to your son without his father? To your wife having to raise him on her own? What if you don't win this war? Who is going to protect them then, if the Dark Lord takes over?"

Remus sighed and lowered his shoulders.

"I've seen it from above," Andromeda said more kindly this time, "and it was hopeless the way it was. You're doom unless somebody does something else."

"Harry…" Remus murmured.

"He's inside the castle," she informed, "he's not even fighting."

"He's doing something else," he snapped.

"I hope you're right."

Another loud bang was audible and Remus looked back in the direction of the battle.

They had no time, and Andromeda was not a patient person.

"Listen to me, Remus Lupin, and listen to me well," she said, pointing her wand at her son-in-law. "When you and Nymphadora got married you promised to protect her. To be at her side. And I don't think you're doing much of that right now. It's not a fighter she and Teddy need right now! It's a husband, and a father."

Her voice broke a little at her last words but she had to continue.

"So I'm doing this, whether you cooperate or no."

Remus looked at her in disbelieve.

"And what is 'this' exactly?" he asked coolly.

Without taking her eyes of his, and the tip of her wand from his throat, Andromeda fished inside her robes and produced a small phial. It would have been so much better if she did not have to do it this way.

"The Draught of Living Death," she explained to his puzzled face. "You'll drink it, and go back to the fray, with a well casted shield on you. I'll take care of that. And then, the potion will make effect. With some luck, somebody will find you and think you're dead."

Remus looked as if he had lost the ability to talk.

"Listen, Remus, we don't have time. Either you do this voluntarily or-"

"Or?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Or I'll just stun you and force the Draught down your throat, how about that?"

He looked around at the castle shining at the lights of the spells, at the forest in front of him, and then back at her.

"This is not your decision to make, Andromeda," his voice was harsh.

"Nor yours," she prompted. "You're not speaking only for you now. You're speaking for your family. What family do you want it to be?"

She could almost see Remus' thoughts fighting each other in his head. She was ready, though. The moment he made any movement at all, she would just stun him without a warning.

"Give me the phial," he finally said.

Andromeda let out a breath she had not realised she had been holding. She stretched her slightly trembling hand with the tiny glass bottle on it. Remus took it, almost unwillingly.

"It's so difficult to reason with you when… when you're looking exactly like her," he muttered.

And without as much as a warning, he took the cork off the phial and drained its contents in one.

"What about you," he asked.

"I've taken Nymphadora's place. I'll fight for her."

It seemed that Remus was reflecting on her words for a moment.

"Let's go," he finally said, giving two unsure steps towards the castle.

The potion was working much quickly than Andromeda had anticipated.

The broom had been lying on the ground forgotten. With a wave of her wand, she summoned it again.

"Come on, let's make it quickly!"

Remus sat properly on the handle this time and both soared into the air. It was as if Remus had not left, the battle was still going on, and the Death Eaters had forced the fighters from the school to retreat a little.

Flying low, Andromeda approached the group as much as she dare.

"Almost there," Remus said, his voice was already sounding sleepy.

"Good luck, Remus."

"You too, Andromeda," he said, and without another word, he jumped off the broom, and rolled on the floor, just when Dolohov, apparently recuperated from Andromeda's stunning spell, fired something green at him.

"_Protego_!" she called, but she could not see the curse had bounce, for another spell had hit the tail of the broom.

No longer in control of it, Andromeda flew at top speed over the field, her broom twirling madly, and finally she collided loudly on to the ground, right in front another group of fighters.

"You!" somebody cried, and she had to hastily cast another shield charm, this time to protect herself.

She did not had to spin around to see who this voice belonged to. Looking elated, with a wild smirk that almost distorted her once beautiful features, her sister Bellatrix was pointing her wand at her.

"This should be fun," she said, before aiming another curse at her.

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><p><strong>AN: I'd like to thank TwilightPrncss, login password, Star Ash Myst, Angel-of-vampires (sorry, I was too eager to post this chap! ^_^), Blonde K and QueenCobraWing for the great reviews! <strong>

**Of course, this is not over yet.**

**Cheers!**


	3. Chapter 3

Remus

It was a jet of green light the last thing he remembered and for a moment Remus wondered if he was dead.

Was wondering even possible for somebody who was no longer alive? He could not say.

There was a heavy ringing silence all around, this was most unsettling. He remembered the battle, all the noise and the confusion, the general debris product of the Death Eaters blowing up Hogwarts castle. Wherever he was, there seemed to be none of that.

Apparently, he was lying on a hard surface, and yet it was not uncomfortable. Moving slowly, he tried to notice any serious wounds. He seemed to be unharmed, his arms and legs, his chest, he could move it all, nothing hurt. How long had he been here, just lying on his back?

Remus opened his eyes. Whatever this place was, it was pitch black; he could not see a thing. Tentatively, he made his hand hover close to his nose. Even at this short distance, the darkness was too much for his eyes to penetrate it. Where was he?

He tried to recall what had happened right before the green light. Everything was so confusing and he could only get bits of it, as if a long time had passed and most of his memories had faded away.

Had he been on a broom? Flying towards the battle? And there had been somebody else. Tonks! No, something was not right, it had not been Tonks. Andromeda. She had been with him.

Remus tried to look around again but it was useless.

Maybe he was dead. And this was what happened when somebody died. Just blackness. After all what had happened the last months, the last years, after everything his life had been, what an anticlimactic way to go, he thought grimly.

There was something that did not fit with that idea, though. Some little voice inside his head seemed to be trying to reassure him he was not dead. How could he know?

An image came suddenly into his mind, with sharp clarity. He had been fighting Dolohov and one of the Lestrange brothers, he did not remember which one. And then, he was flying, something was grabbing him and was soaring through the air barely above the other fighter's heads. Had that happened for real or had it been just a very strange nightmare?

And then, he had been at the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. What was he doing there in the first place? Somebody has just appeared in front of him. That part had not being a dream, for the amazing sensation that had overwhelmed him when seeing his Dora alive and in front of him was all but real.

Except it had not been Dora. Andromeda.

He did not remember why, but it seemed that the key to understand his current predicament lay in his mother-in-law. Why had she taken her daughter's shape? It had something to do with keeping her safe. And… and him?

"You know, you're getting terribly boring."

Sirius' voice made him jump startled. Even though he could still not see a thing, Remus stood up hastily, searching for his wand on the inside pocket of his robes. It was reassuring to feel the wood on his fingers.

"Easy, now, you don't need that here," another voice spoke.

"James?" Remus asked.

"Nice to see you too, mate." His friend's tone was cheerful, quite at odds with the way Remus was feeling.

"I can't see," he finally said, feeling it was a very stupid comment but at a loss of anything else to say.

Still, it was as if he had just muttered an incantation. Suddenly a greyish light was starting to fill the space. He could not distinguish the source. Wherever he was, apparently, had no boundaries; no walls, no ceiling, no columns, no doors.

It was empty, except from the three persons standing right in front of him.

"I am dead, then," Remus told them, surprised about how calm his voice sounded.

Sirius gave a deep bark-like laugh.

"I don't think you are," Lily's voice was as sweet as ever, with that soft ringing of mischief she had acquired around the time when she had started dating James.

"We haven't said you are, mate. Stop being this cheerful," Sirius added, and he gave Remus a hard pat on the back.

I least I could feel pain, he thought still unnerved.

"How've you been, then?" James asked as if this was the most normal of situations.

"I very much like to have an answer to that question. Am I dreaming?"

James pressed his lips together as if lost in thought. The other two stayed silent as well; apparently it had been a difficult question. Remus' eyes were sweeping from him to Lily and Sirius, without being able to stop. Sirius looked exactly the way he had the last time he had seen him, during the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Slightly dishevelled, but with a triumphant air that seemed to have survived his own death. James and Lily, on the other hand, looked much younger, just the way he remembered them from more than fifteen years ago.

"No, I don't think you're dreaming. Not exactly," James finally answered.

"Then…?"

Sirius smiled.

"Do you know those legends of people coming back from the death?"

"Ghosts?" Remus asked.

"No, not them, just people. Like in tales or legends." It was very odd having Sirius explaining something to him.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well, I've come to realise they're not real. No in the sense the legends want to make you believe they are. You're just… imagining things. No offences."

Remus shook his head slowly.

"So now… you, me, am I inventing all this?"

The three of us were beaming now.

"It must be. You're not with us anyway, that's for sure." James said.

"And," Lily added, "dying feels entirely different."

Remus pinched his nose for a moment. This was starting to sound ridiculous.

"So now I'm just talking to myself and pretending you three are here with me."

His three friends chuckled softly. He was getting annoyed by the matter-of-factly way they were chatting about his being dead or not.

"If you put it like that, mate, you sound a little off your rocket," James said merrily.

"Right now you're in a sort of… empty moment," Lily added. "Your mind is just… feeling it up with something important for you. So actually, we're pretty flattered."

"If that's the case, I do wonder," Sirius said, sounding a bit stern, "why isn't my baby cousin here then."

"Because I know she's alive," Remus said in a whisper.

He was surprised at his own answer.

"So, you're basically imagining dead people," James said with a chortle.

Remus nodded slowly. If he was indeed talking to imaginations or projections or something like that, he was no longer interested.

"So, what should I do? How do I get back?"

His three friends looked at each other, as if asking themselves silent questions.

James finally shrugged.

"I guess you'd just have to want to."

"I want to," Remus protested. "I have to get back to the battle, and to Dora, and…"

And then he suddenly remembered.

"I can't," he added, hunching a little. "I won't be able to wake up until… until the effects of the potion wear off."

The three figures in front of him seemed to be fading. None of them spoke, neither did Remus. Carefully, he sat on the dark floor, his wand at the ready.

How long did he stayed like that, he could not tell. Suddenly, before he had the chance to realise his eyes were closed, and that therefore he had to open them, pain washed over him as suddenly and strongly as if he had just been hit by the Whopping Willow. And with the pain there were also soft noises, flooding his ears from a certain distance. People were talking, sobbing, crying, muttering in hushed tones, some of them were even cheering. Where was he?

He tried to open his eyelids again. This time he managed, although he felt as if he could not move, his arms were heavy and his head seemed to be glued to the floor. Somebody had put some sort of blanket over his eyes; the only thing he could see was the pattern texture of the soft material which seemed to be covering his entire body. He felt his right hand's fingers wrapped around something. He was still holding his wand. With an almighty effort, he pulled the cloth in order to uncover his eyes.

Remus was not in that strange dark place any more, he was in what seemed like a stone-wall room; rays of bright golden light entering through three large windows, the room seemed to be empty. It took him a moment to recognise it: it was a classroom. The tables had been shoved haphazardly against one of the walls to make enough room to…

He gasped out loud. At his side there was a dark figure, covered in purple drapes, it had the outline of a human being. It seemed they were not the only figures around. Clenching his teeth and making another effort, Remus heaved his head and leaned on his elbows.

The room was filled with shapes, human bodies, covered with or wrapped in clothes so he could not see their faces, lying one near the other, leaving hardly any room for people to move between them.

So he was alive in a sea of death people. Somebody had thought he was dead as well.

Yet again, Remus made an effort to remember what had happened. Unlike the empty space he had had the feeling he had been not long ago, this time memories came much easily. Andromeda, disguised as Dora, forcing him to drink a potion.

The Draught of Living Death puts you in a sleep so deep one could think you're dead, he thought. So her plan had worked… at least partially. He was alive. And she? And Dora? And everybody else?

He tried to make something out of the noises entering through the door, it was all too confusing. There was one thing he was certain though. The battle was over. Whether they had won or lost, he could not say, but at least he could not recognise the shouting of curses or spells.

He had to get up, he had to find out. Still, even though the effects of the potion were wearing off, his body was too heavy for him to walk.

Remus could not say what made him do it, and even as he was stretching his hand towards the figure nearest him, he was sure this was not a good idea. Carefully, he uncovered the face of the dark shape.

He had to make an extra effort not to gasp out loud again, as tears flooded his eyes and all the physical pain seemed nothing compared to that terrible crushing sensation inside him.

Dora was laying there, her eyes closed, looking so peaceful she could be dreaming. One of her hands was still clutching her wand, the other one seemed to be outstretched in his direction. Remus closed his eyes, he could not look at her like this, he could not look at the room full of bodies, and he wished he had not woken up. He deserved nothing and he wished nothing but being a corpse himself.

And then…

Something made his eyes open again. Something was wrong. And although it seemed to hurt more than anything, he looked at her again, her face, her hands, her wand. That was not right: the wand. He took it from the lifeless hand's grasp and looked sharply at it, even giving it a little wave.

That was not Dora's wand.

How could he be relieved by knowing the death of a human being, of somebody he cared for very much, he could not understand; Remus was relieved nonetheless as he realised that the woman lying next to him was Andromeda, still in Dora's shape. How long the effects would last of whatever enchantment they had used?

He needed to be sure, though. Somebody, anybody, could have placed that wand in the corpse's hand, thinking it belonged to it… to her. Dora could have sneaked into the castle right after Andromeda and joined the fray without him noticing her. He needed to get out, and, if necessary, fight his way home.

With an almighty effort, trying hard to struggle the after-effects of the potion, he stood up. Carefully not to step on anything or anybody, Remus started walking towards the door; it stood ajar and the sounds were getting more recognisable.

How could he know what had happened? How could he leave the castle without being seen? Because if somebody had thought he was death, his walking about would just raise a lot of questions to say the least. And he had no time for that.

Carefully casting a Disillusionment charm on himself, he risked peeking out through the small gap between the door and the threshold. It was a short empty corridor opening into what looked like the entrance hall. He was in the ground-floor then, very close to the exterior. It should not be terribly difficult to creep out and make his way through the grounds into Hogsmeade.

Giving the door a gentle push, he stepped outside.

"Don't move." The voice was so harsh Remus had difficulty recognising it. And yet his heart gave a funny jump. If Harry Potter was alive, did that mean they had won?

He wondered if he could just walk towards the door, hoping for the charm to conceal it long enough. The tip of a wand on his back told him it was not a possibility. Besides, he knew he would have to talk to Harry sooner or later.

"It is I, Remus," he finally whispered, slowly turning around to see the owner of the wand pointing at him.

Harry looked dishevelled, dirty and wounded from the battle, but other than that, he seemed to be perfectly unharmed, though very tired.

"You can't be," he said calmly, though with a ring of fury – or was it sadness? – in his voice. "Remus is dead."

With slow movements, Remus placed the tip of his wand on his temple, revealing himself.

In front of him, Harry gasped out loud.

"You cannot be… what?"

"I'm not dead," Remus simply said.

"What was my father's nickname in school?" he asked without missing a bit. Remus could not help but feel proud at this.

"Prongs, his Animagus form was a stag."

Harry lowered his wand a little, still keeping a firm grasp on it.

"But… but I saw you," he was frowning slightly, looking around as if expecting for somebody else to pop out. "I saw you lying in the Great Hall near Tonks… and then… In the forest, you were there… with Sirius, and my Mum and Dad…"

If Remus did not know him better, he would have said Harry was delusional.

"When did that happen?"

The kid shook his head.

"I don't know… a couple of hours ago, I guess. You were…" he seemed to be struggling to say the right thing. "There is this… item… I don't have it any more, but it's supposed to bring back people from the death. And it brought you back! And Sirius, and my parents. And I…" his voice lowered to a mere whisper. He was not looking at him any more, but at her dirty trainers, "I told you I was sorry you had to die, because of your son, and you told me… you told me he'd knew you'd die so he could have a happier life."

Remus shook his head. It sounded as something he would have said if he had died. It was the oddest of thoughts.

"Listen, Harry, I need to go and find Dora-"

"Remus," he replied softly. "Haven't you heard me? She… she's dead. She's in there," he said pointing the classroom.

"No… I think she's not…" Remus replied. "I think… I think it's Andromeda lying there."

Harry's eyes were wide open.

"How? But I saw her too-"

"Listen, Harry, I promise I will explain it all to you, as soon as I get it all myself. But now I have to get home, I have to find out if Dora and Teddy are all right!"

For a moment it seemed that he had not understand, for he was rummaging in an inside pocket of his jacket.

"Here," Harry finally said, producing a silvery cloth and giving it to him. "You know how this works; you can give it back to me later."

Remus smiled and took it. He was about to put it on when he realised he had not asked the most important of questions.

"The battle…" he started.

Harry beamed at him.

"It's over," he said simply.

And Remus understood he would not have to fight his way back home.

He turned around and then another question made him face Harry again.

"What were you doing here?"

Harry shrugged.

"I didn't want to be with the others… and I wasn't tired. I sort of needed to think some things over; I couldn't think of another place to go."

Remus thought he understood. He heaved his arm, froze in mid-air in doubt, and then he finally reached to grasp Harry's shoulder.

None of them said another thing, and finally, Remus turned around and threw the Invisibility Cloak over him, heading out to the grounds.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you very much to all readers and reviewers! JL, Blonde K, anonymous individual [Andromeda goes as Tonks because she knows Bellatrix is after her and she knows her sister won't rest until seeing Tonks dead... and it's canon ^_^], DeathlyHallowsschoolgirl, Addicted-To-Sugar-Quills, DragonRider122, Angel-of-vampires, MuggleCreator, TwilightPrncss and QueenCobraWing. <strong>

**Cheers!**


	4. Chapter 4

All Tonks could do was pace the room up and down, wishing she had been stronger. Wishing she had had the strength to stop her mother, to stop Remus, or to have gone herself. There was no such a possibility now; there was no way she was going to leave that tiny little creature alone. And her mother had known that.

How long had it been? How many minutes, hours had passed since her mother, looking exactly like her, had disappeared inside the fireplace?

Right after that Tonks had wanted to stop her. It had been too late. Trust her to think about every detail to make sure things were going to be made her way. Andromeda had managed somehow to close the passage of the fireplace; after unsuccessfully trying to spin inside the fireplace she realised it was no longer connected to the Floo Network.

Screaming with rage and a sadness so deep it seemed to be part of the same rage she had hit the useless brick wall with both her fists. The sound had woken Teddy up and it had been the sound of his protesting screaming more than the blood on her knuckles what had made her recognise her defeat.

She knew better as to try to Apparate in Hogsmeade. For all she knew, it could be packed with Death Eaters and just showing up there could be the most stupid way to die.

It had coasted her a lot of time to make Teddy fall asleep again. She wandered if her pacing was somewhat harsher as what he was used to, or if he could feel her mum was this worried. Finally, though, he had peacefully closed his eyes, his tiny hands in fists and his hair bright orange, and had even allowed her to put him back on the couch.

The second after his warm little body had parted from her she realised she might be needing it more than him. Putting him to sleep had been something to do. Now she had nothing. Nothing but waiting, and pacing, and thinking, and regretting.

How long had it been now? Where was Remus? And her mother? How could she find out what had happened?

With what felt at the time to be a mad struck of inspiration she had send Patronuses to Molly and Kingsley, asking what was happening. The lack of reply was as loud as a cry in the middle of the night. Now, she did not dare to send another one. If things had turned out badly, and even Tonks tried to refuse to think about that possibility, the arrival of her Patronus to anybody would be just calling for additional trouble.

Finally tired, Tonks sat near Teddy, hugging her knees, without even mustering the energy to grab a blanket. It was only when a golden ray of sun hit her eyelids that she realised she had fallen dozed off.

The brightness in the early hours of the morning seemed to be mocking her. Teddy was still asleep and his peaceful expression seemed to belong to some other place, to other people's life. It was no good to pretend otherwise; as Tonks stretched her numb legs she realised the thought was not even new. They were dead.

She had known her mother would die all along, she had seen in her eyes a determination that had been absent since her father had left all those months ago. For these last instants, while discussing with her, while making plans for their immediate future and even for much longer than that, Andromeda Tonks had been very much alive. And it had been the last time. Tonks had seen in those eyes, looking exactly like hers, that she had not only gone to try to save Remus. She had gone to meet her own husband as well. She had been ready to die.

When had she taken the decision? Perhaps weeks ago, perhaps the moment she had known Ted had die. She probably would not ever know.

Still, it had been partially a failure. She had met her husband all right, but she, Tonks, had not met hers. She would not ever. Unlike her mother though, she did not even had the possibility of choosing to go after Remus. The small morning cry of Teddy was assuring her this. Her life was no longer just hers.

It was strange how calm all this ideas seemed to pass through her without really sinking in. Was she actually contemplating the possibility of carrying on without Remus? She took Teddy in her arms. The much more present and tangible needs of her son might be distracting her from truly understanding what it meant.

The shadow outlined right outside her mother's kitchen door made her almost drop Teddy. It seemed it had appeared out of thin air.

As if it had been a well rehearsed choreography, she casted a silencing charm on the baby and put it gently inside a cupboard. Somebody had passed through the wards and security enchantments around the place; somebody had made his way through the garden without triggering the alarms. With the same swift movement, she turned around, her wand pointing at the kitchen door.

It was as if the person outside had doubted for a split second before opening it.

His clothes were torn apart in several places, his face was swollen and half covered in dry blood, his hands were shaky and yet the tip of his wand was pointing right at her in that calm and firm way she knew by heart.

"Remus," she whispered hoarsely.

The next instant, he was hugging her, and she was hugging him back.

"Dora…"

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><p><strong>AN: So this is the end... at least for now. As usual, comments or feedback are much appreciated.<strong>

**Thank you all, readers and reviewers: cheshie04, Addicted-To-Sugar-Quills, MuggleCreator, Star Ash Myst, Blonde K, anonymous individual, Angel-of-vampires, Dimcairien, The Breeze, QueenCobraWing, TwilightPrncss, and JL!**

**Cheers!**


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